Deer In Headlines II

By Gery Deer

PART I

Modern Americans are fascinated with the complexities of British social classes. Television programs like “Upstairs, Downstairs” and, more recently, “Downton Abbey” give us colonials a glimpse into the inner workings of a world in which you are trapped in the station to which you were born, good or bad. We gaze through the looking glass at the uptight snobbery of the self-anointed lords and ladies who flutter around their castles, moaning about what they’ll wear to dinner after changing clothes for the tenth time that day.

All the while, we commoners across the pond suffer alongside the struggles of those who do the actual work – the maids, footmen, farmers, and shopkeepers. They’re all just trying to make ends meet, but are never permitted to step out of their place to be more than that. All this because their father’s, father’s father was a farmer or cook or butler – and so shall they be, as ordained by a class system that’s as ridiculous as it is antiquated.

We watch, we grimace, we sit in our superiority about having extricated ourselves from such nonsense 250 years ago – or did we? Americans love the idea that this country is a classless society. We’re taught that if we work hard enough and do our best, we can rise to whatever level we choose. It’s a comforting (and arrogant) notion that makes for great campaign speeches. Unfortunately, it’s completely false. Classism has been with us since the beginning, even though we try very hard not to admit it.

Never has America’s class system been more visible than since the 2024 presidential election. The “haves” took over in January, largely thanks to the ignorance of the “have-nots.” Sadly, those who got this administration elected – mainly the working poor – don’t seem to care that the people they sent to Washington want to keep them right where they are – broke and blaming everyone on the other side for their circumstances.

Why else would they gut our social services, eliminate job training and healthcare support, and destroy historic buildings in favor of grand, palatial eyesores to show off the wealth – and their class status – that you and I will never, ever experience. Remember, none of this is new. It’s always been this way, but most Americans pretend it’s not. I promise you, though, if you set one foot into that world and you don’t belong, you’ll know it – they’ll make sure of that.

In Europe, classism originates from a combination of wealth and notions of nobility passed down through generations. But here, it’s all about the cash. Or, more correctly, wealth in general. From the moment the first colonists set foot on this continent, social layers began to form. European class systems based on land and labor arrived right along with them. Those who owned property or controlled trade (the wealthy) quickly established themselves at the top. Those who labored — whether as indentured servants, tenant farmers, or enslaved people — occupied the lower rungs. Wealth dictated opportunity, status, and political power.

When the founders sat down to sketch out a nation based on Enlightenment ideals, they tried to break from those traditionally rigid hierarchies. The promise was that this new republic would be different: more equal, more flexible, more open to talent than lineage. But before the ink was even dry on the Constitution, participation in democracy was tied to property ownership. In other words, class.

The industrial periods of the late 19th and early 20th centuries produced titans of industry and staggering corporate wealth, alongside factory workers who lived ten to a room and rarely made ends meet. The labor unrest of that era was more than economic conflict. It was an open confrontation between classes that the country pretended didn’t exist. And yet, generation after generation, we’ve continued telling ourselves that class isn’t part of the American story.

But it is – and that distinction is growing daily, minute by minute, mainly due to our current political structure and power, as billionaires are given increasing influence over our government.

In part two, we will talk about who perpetuates the very real American class system and what, if anything, can be done to lessen its influence on the majority.

PART II

I’m painfully aware of class distinctions. I grew up in a farm family that also included teachers, mechanics, cattle workers, and waitresses. I’ve had every job you can imagine – and some you can’t – and in every situation there was always someone around to remind me of my “place.” I never became a “have,” but, like you, I work for my living – and I always have – something most blue bloods can rarely claim.

Excluding tech boom millionaires from the 1990s, there is significant generational wealth at the top of the American food chain. However, most wealthy individuals insist that their success stems solely from a work ethic. Those struggling, on the other hand, are told to pull harder on their bootstraps. It’s a neat trick: if class doesn’t exist, then anyone stuck at the bottom must simply not be trying hard enough. That’s why republicans in power (who tend to be the wealthier group) blame the poor for being poor – spouting off on how they must be lazy, working the system, etc. And democratic leaders (who are often less wealthy, but not without means), champion the working poor while still condescending to them, maintaining the class barriers. Has Chuck Schumer, a multi-millionaire, invited you to any parties lately? Yeah, me either. Both sides are to blame for all this.

The truth is that modern America has a very real class structure, even if we don’t officially name it. At the top is the wealth class — that small percentage of Americans whose fortunes come from investments, corporate ownership, or inherited wealth. Below them is the upper middle class, made up of highly educated professionals who enjoy stability, networks, and cultural influence. The middle class — if we can still call it that with a straight face — includes those with some savings, homeownership, and a degree or a skilled trade.

Further down are the working class and the working poor, whose lives are shaped by hourly wages, inconsistent schedules, limited benefits, and housing insecurity. The lower classes – where most of us fit – are increasingly squeezed by rising costs and stagnant wages. What separates these groups isn’t just income. It’s wealth, education, geography, access to healthcare, and those unwritten rules known as “cultural capital” — things like networking, confidence in professional settings, or simply knowing which doors to knock on.

So where did our grand experiment at classlessness go wrong? It failed in all the predictable places. Public education and other social services were intended to level the field, but are still funded by local taxes that mirror neighborhood wealth. Even the American Dream itself was built on the idea that anyone can rise — as long as they start from somewhere near the top in the first place.

Those who rise to power tend to be members of the upper class, with little or no desire to lose their position by pandering to social groups with no influence, financial or otherwise. Sure, we see extensive TV news footage of politicians and wealthy people who volunteer with social services, donate to charities, and give speeches on behalf of the poor and less fortunate. But at no time do you ever see one of those people – from any political side – do something that might benefit you and me while jeopardizing their own place.

We could effect change, however, if we improve access to education, support trade schooling, strengthen worker protections, and provide financial literacy programs. We could even create a healthcare system that doesn’t punish people for simply being alive. Unfortunately, none of this seems likely in the current social and political climates.

America must accept that class exists, but only those at the top are sure of it. For some reason, the poorest people support the politicians and policies that tend to harm them the most. It’s time to wake up and realize that, to maintain their positions and wealth, the upper class will always try to subjugate the middle and lower classes.

So, what can you do? Listen to what the politicians are saying and doing. How does it help you? How does it harm you? Dump the idiotic crowd mentality of party and vote for your own best interests, not theirs.